Written Answers Nos. 591-612
591. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he monitors the adequate availability of hotel and guest accommodation and of the ability of the sector to meet demand; the locations he has identified as being deficient in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16005/16]
View answerFáilte Ireland monitors the performance of tourist accommodation, including hotels, through regular occupancy surveys of accommodation providers throughout Ireland. These surveys collect data on accommodation available and rooms/beds sold each month, as well as a breakdown of overseas and domestic guests.
The statistics indicate that while the country as a whole has sufficient stock of tourist accommodation to meet the needs of the industry, there are capacity constraints in areas of high tourist traffic at times of peak demand and additional capacity will be required in certain parts of the country, particularly Dublin City Centre.
As Fáilte Ireland has operational responsibility for the collation and analysis of these tourist accommodation-related statistics, I have referred the Deputy's question to this agency for direct reply. Please contact my private office if a reply is not received within ten working days.
592. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if interest will grow in activity sports and recreation over the next five years; his plans for an initiative in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16006/16]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport, including the development of strategies for increasing participation in sport.
As this question is a matter for Sport Ireland, I have referred it to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
593. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will identify the need for sporting and recreational facilities and continue his policy of allocating capital grants to such facilities so as to generate interest in sport and recreation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16007/16]
View answer594. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for the allocation of major and minor capital sports grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16008/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together.
No decision has been made on the timing of any future rounds of the Sports Capital Programme.
Any interested group should register online now at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie as this portal will be the only way to apply under any future rounds of the Programme.
595. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to identify areas which require investment in the road and rail network; to restore projects set aside during the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16009/16]
View answerThe previous Government agreed a Capital Plan for 2016 to 2021 which set out a 7 year capital envelope for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport of over €10bn, representing almost 30% of the total spend envisaged. The transport element of this plan is predicated on three priorities which are: to keep the existing road and rail network well maintained and operating efficiently and safely; to address urban congestion and ensure that the public transport system has the capacity to meet growing demand to support competitiveness, economic growth and quality of life; and to encourage modal shift in traffic patterns so as to support our emission reduction targets.
We are in the first year of the plan which will see a gradual return to the necessary levels of investment to maintain our existing road and rail network to protect those assets now and into the future. The plan will in time provide for a major transport project for north Dublin (Metro North) to tackle congestion in an area of the country due to experience rapid population growth. It will also see a schedule of investments to expand and improve the road network around Ireland, some of which are identified in the plan. Apart from projects specifically identified in the Capital Plan, such as Dart Underground and Metro North, there will be scope to consider the cost/benefit of restoring other projects which we were unable to progress during the economic downturn, as fiscal parameters allow.
596. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has reviewed dangerous bridges or other accident black spots in order to prioritise and to set specific targets over the lifetime of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16010/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including the assessment of safety issues, is a statutory function of road authorities in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is a matter for the local authority.
My Department initiated a regional road bridge inspection programme in 2011 to assess the condition of bridges on the network and this has been followed up with a Bridge Rehabilitation Grant programme. Under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant scheme local authorities submit a list of bridges in order of priority for consideration for funding.
As regards measures to address safety hazards, my Department operates a Safety Improvement Grant Programme which operates on a similar basis to the Bridge Rehabilitation Scheme with local authorities submitting a list of schemes in order of priority for consideration for funding.
Within the constraints of the overall roads budget, allocations are made to local authorities for both schemes each year.
As regards bridges and safety schemes on national roads, these are managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the relevant local authority. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 days.
597. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will liaise with Kildare County Council to identify dangerous and inadequate bridges in the county and to initiate a programme to upgrade, improve, realign or replace them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16011/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Kildare (including bridges) is a statutory function of Kildare County Council in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is a matter for the Council.
My Department initiated a regional road bridge inspection programme in 2011 to assess the condition of bridges on the network and this has been followed up with a Bridge Rehabilitation Grant programme. Under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant scheme local authorities submit a list of bridges in order of priority for consideration for funding. Within the constraints of the overall roads budget, allocations are made to local authorities for remedial bridge works. Kildare County Council was allocated €203,000 for bridge rehabilitation works in 2016.
As regards bridges on national roads, these are managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the relevant local authority. I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 days.
598. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of his proposals to improve, realign or replace the bridge over the River Liffey at Celbridge, County Kildare, including if Kildare County Council has provided him with preliminary plans for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16012/16]
View answerAs outlined previously to the Deputy, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads (including bridges) in Kildare is the statutory responsibility of Kildare County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993-2015.
The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council. Assessment of options in relation to a new bridge at Celbridge is, therefore, a matter for consideration by Kildare County Council.
The Council has not submitted any proposals to my Department for a new bridge over the river Liffey in Celbridge.
599. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the deficiencies he has identified in the national primary and secondary road network and in its ability to cater for current and future traffic volumes; his plans for places where he has identified an under-capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16013/16]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
600. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to enhance and develop regional airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16014/16]
View answerThe National Aviation Policy, published by my Department last August, acknowledges the role played by the regional airports in Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock, Kerry and Waterford in promoting a level of international connectivity to support the tourism and business sectors in their regions.
The Policy also confirms that these four airports are being given the opportunity to grow to a viable, self-sustaining position. In this regard, my Department's latest Regional Airports Programme, which covers the period 2015 to 2019, was approved by the EU Commission last year under State aid rules and this Programme will continue to support safety and security measures at these airports where appropriate.
An extra €10 million in capital funding is provided in the Programme for Government for the regional airports. This is additional to the €28 million already provided for this purpose in the Capital Plan 2016 to 2022 and will enhance my Department's ability to further support the four airports.
It is of course a matter for the airports themselves to exploit all potential opportunities to develop air services at their facilities.
601. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to provide capital funding for swimming pools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16015/16]
View answer602. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide funding for a swimming pool in Maynooth, County Kildare, as envisaged jointly with the National University of Ireland Maynooth and Kildare County Council or independently through the council; if the university or the council has responded to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16016/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 602 together.
The Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP) provides for grant aid to local authorities towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools.
I understand that my predessor met with the Deputy, Kildare County Council and other local representatives last July. Following that meeting Kildare County Council was to write to the Department but no correspondence was received.
In January of this year, my Department contacted local authorities and sought expressions of interest in a limited round of swimming pool allocations, subject to funding becoming available from other projects where those projects would not be progressed. There were three expressions of interest received for new pools, two of which were valid and both in Dublin. The third was from Kildare County Council for a pool in Maynooth but this was invalid as the local authority do not have title to the proposed site. Having assessed existing commitments and the funding available, it was considered prudent to progress one additional new pool project at this time. Following consideration of the expressions of interest, and the two valid proposals for new pools, it was decided to include the proposal from South Dublin County Council (SDCC) for a new swimming pool in Lucan in the LASPP.
Details of the LASPP allocations under the special energy efficiency / enhanced disabled access initiatives from 2011 to 2015 inclusive can be found on the Department's website at the following link: http://www.dttas.ie/sport/english/allocations-and-payments.
603. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the regulations in place to ensure that passengers on school buses wear their safety belts for the duration of the journey to and from school as a compulsory measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16052/16]
View answerSubject to certain exemptions, under Regulation 9(2) of the European Communities (Compulsory Use of Safety Belts and Child Restraint Systems in Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2006 - S.I. No. 240 of 2006, every adult and every child of 3 years of age or more occupying a seat in a category M2 or M3 vehicle, which includes school buses, is required to wear a safety belt or an appropriate child restraint system. A person (other than a person under 14 years of age) who fails to comply with this Regulation commits an offence.
Regulation 9(4) provides that the driver of a large public service vehicle is not obliged to carry a passenger who, without showing reasonable just cause, fails to comply with the aforementioned Regulation, while under Regulation 10(2) the owner of such a vehicle shall ensure that passengers are informed of the requirement to wear safety belts while they are seated and while the bus is in motion.
As with all Road Traffic legislation, enforcement of these Regulatory requirements is a matter for An Garda Síochána.
604. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of forensic accountants employed by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the dates on which they commenced employment. [15888/16]
View answerThe mission of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) is to improve the compliance environment for corporate activity in the Irish economy by encouraging adherence to the requirements of the Companies Acts, and bringing to account those who disregard the law. The Office's staff comprise a multi-disciplined team of accountants, administrators and lawyers and civil servants of my Department.
Staffing resources are sought and allocated across my Department and its Offices, including the ODCE, in the context of the requirement to manage the pay bill and staff numbers in accordance with Government policy, utilising available resources in the most effective and efficient manner as appropriate to business needs and priorities. On a day-to-day basis the HR Unit of my Department works with individual Business Units and the Department’s Management Board team on the allocation of staff resources and this would include the ODCE. As an “Office” of my Department, this allows the Secretary General and his HR team the freedom to reallocate resources from one Business Unit to another as priorities change, always mindful that the pay-budget limits do constrain our capacity to grow staffing levels as well as having regard to strategic priorities captured through the workforce planning process, the latest iteration of which is currently under way in the Department.
In line with the current business needs of the ODCE, my Department and the ODCE have been working with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) on the recruitment of seven “Investigators” or professional forensic accountants. On foot of a recent competition, my Department has recently appointed three “Investigators” or professional forensic accountants to the ODCE, all of whom have commenced their assignments on 30 May 2016. One further forensic accountant is due to commence assignment in the ODCE on the 29 August 2016. My Department will continue to work with PAS on the remaining assignments.
605. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her role in formulating research and innovation policy at Government level. [15313/16]
View answerAs Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation I have Government responsibility for the development, promotion and co-ordination of innovation, research and development policy and programmes. I am delegating responsibility for research and innovation policy and programmes to Minister of State, Mr Halligan, TD.
Innovation 2020, Ireland's new cross Government strategy for research and development, science and technology, was agreed by Government and launched by An Taoiseach in December 2015. The strategy, containing 93 actions for delivery up to 2020, was formulated by an Interdepartmental Committee chaired by my Department and comprising representatives from key Government Departments and the Higher Education Authority along with the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government.
A cross departmental Implementation Group, chaired by my Department, has been established. The role of this group is to drive the implementation of Innovation 2020 and ensure that all actions are delivered within set timeframes.
606. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the process involved for using the exemption under section 41(1) of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000; the number of times this exemption has been used since enactment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15362/16]
View answer607. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of times the exemption in section 41(1) of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 has been used since its enactment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15381/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 607 together.
I understand there have been no applications to the Labour Court under Section 41(1) of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 since its enactment.
The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides (in Section 41) that the Labour Court may exempt an employer from the obligation to pay an employee or employees entitlements otherwise payable to them under the Act. The exemption shall be for a period not exceeding one year and not less than three months. An employer can only avail of this provision on one occasion. The Act specifies that before granting an exemption the Labour Court must be satisfied that the employees of the employer have consented to the application for exemption being made and have given their consent also to abide by any decision the Labour Court may make in the matter.
The following documents must accompany the application for exemption:-
1. EMPLOYEE AGREEMENT
(1) Agreement in which the majority of the employees in respect of whom the exemption is sought, or their representative, consent to -
- the employer making the application for the exemption; and
- abide by any decision of the Labour Court on the application
OR
(2) Collective agreement covering the majority of the employees in respect of whom the exemption is sought whereby the employees consent to -
- the employer making the application for the exemption; and
- abide by any decision of the Labour Court on the application
OR
Where the employer only has one employee -
(3) Agreement with the employee or his/her representative in which consent is given to the employer to make the application and in which the employee consents to abide by the decision of the Labour Court on the application.
2. EMPLOYEE DETAILS
A list giving the names and occupations of all employees in respect of whom application for exemption is made.
Completed applications, together with the documents specified at 1. and 2. should be returned to:-
Programming Section
The Labour Court
Tom Johnson House
Haddington Road
Dublin 4
Phone: (01) 6136608, 6136611, 6136610
Lo-call (if calling from outside the (01) area): 1890 220228
608. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount the injuries board paid in legal fees in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15391/16]
View answer609. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number and percentage of applicants to the injuries board who chose to engage a solicitor in the claims process in each of the years 2006 to 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15392/16]
View answer612. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the average award the injuries board issued in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15396/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 608, 609 and 612 together.
The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) is the statutory body responsible for the assessment of compensation for personal injuries, without the need for legal proceedings. Section 53(3) of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 provides that the Board shall be independent in the performance of its functions. I have no direct function in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy, which are part of the day-to-day operational work of the Board.
I have asked PIAB to supply the information requested directly to the Deputy.
610. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to review the Personal Injuries Assessment Board legislation; and the public consultations she will include. [15394/16]
View answer611. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the concerns that have provoked a review of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15395/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 610 and 611 together.
In June 2014, Minister Bruton, the then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commenced a public consultation on the operation and implementation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Acts, 2003 and 2007, with a view to identifying any areas relating to the scope, powers or operation of the legislation which might require change. The 2003 Act had been in force for over eleven years and it was considered timely to take stock of how the legislation is operating in practice.
Twenty-nine submissions were received from a range of interests including Government Departments and agencies, industry, insurance and legal interests, and individuals. The Department has been examining these submissions with a view to identifying whether there are areas which might require change. The General Scheme of the Bill is now being prepared and it is hoped to seek Government approval for the drafting of a Bill later this year. The review will seek to strengthen the legislation in terms of operational issues.
